Accident Overview
On September 8, 1977, at about 2020 Eastern Standard Time, a Gates Learjet 25B aircraft, bearing registration N999HG and operated by Champion Home Builders Company, crashed shortly after taking off from Sanford Airport in Sanford, North Carolina. All five individuals on board lost their lives, and the aircraft was completely destroyed.
Flight Sequence
The departure from Sanford Airport occurred at approximately 2018 EST, with the intended destination being Flint, Michigan. The flight was guided by departure instructions from Fayetteville departure control. The aircraft had traveled about three miles west of the airport, was climbing through an altitude of 3,000 feet, and was on a heading of 270 degrees when it vanished from radar screens. No distress calls were transmitted by the crew.
Eyewitness Accounts
Multiple witnesses located west of the airport observed the aircraft engulfed in flames while it was below 600 feet altitude, and then it suddenly dove into the ground. Those in the immediate area reported the presence of an overcast ceiling at the time. Prior to the crash, the aircraft had executed a right turn to a north-easterly heading, and it was already on fire.
Investigation Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause was one or more low-order explosions occurring in the aft fuselage of the aircraft. These explosions resulted in a fire and loss of control capability. The board was unable to definitively identify the fuel and ignition sources of the initial explosion. However, it noted that gases from the aircraft's batteries or fuel leakage from fuel system components, or a combination of both, could have been present in the area of the initial explosion.